


My Mistakes Were Made For You

by HunkyMunky



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2019-05-29 08:26:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15069176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HunkyMunky/pseuds/HunkyMunky
Summary: Lance will finally have his chance to get to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, following his parents' legacy together with his older brothers. By the same time, Keith finally understands his heritage and the reasons why he's been living with his uncle since birth but, with the threat of a new horde of dark wizards and witches attacking Europe and the connection he's felt to Lance's magic, strange things start to happen again inside the old castle's walls.(Hogwarts AU/Gryffindor Lance/Slytherin Keith)





	My Mistakes Were Made For You

**Author's Note:**

> This work takes place on Harry Potter's universe, created and developed by J. K. Rowling, taking use of some of its characters. Most of the characters are from the TV show Voltron: Legendary Defender and don't belong to me. All of the chapters will be written from a first person point of view, with the italic type meaning flashbacks or comments from the narrator. English is not my first language, so I apologize for any mistake. If you spot something, just leave a note. I'll try to fix it and I'll appreciate all the help I get. I am fan of Harry Potter, but I am no expert on the area. Therefore, at any sight of problems (Wrong descriptions of the castle; Wrong spells...), notes will be appreciated.
> 
> Harry Potter's original series plot will have some minor influence during the chapters, while Cursed Child's plot will not be considered for this story.
> 
> This is a gay romantic story, so there will be some mentions of more intimate contact between two people of the same gender during the chapters. In case of more explicit scenes or violence, there will be a warning in the beggining of the chapter (just like this one).
> 
> Shallura will be just on the background, with no chapter dedicated to it. There will be more minor realitionships during the story, so as Hunk/Shay and Scorbus.
> 
> This fanfiction does not follow the current plot of Voltron: Legendary Defender and some changes were necessary for better character development during the chapters. The school years will pass every four chapters (this number can change with time, so, if needed, there will be more or less chapters during the same school year).
> 
> Thank you for your attention, and I hope you like this work as much as I do :)

_Hi! _You are probably wondering how you ended up here, on a story without a good start but a very charming narrator. This story happens some years ago, on a world known by its magic and by its people. But don’t be fooled by my not so good description. This world was once terrified by darkness and fear, both represented by an old wizard with mischievous snake eyes. I was not alive then, but my parents always told me about how everything changed and about how we ended up having the first Gryffindor hero that they really liked. But we are not here to talk about a war. You came here to read about how my life went upside down after one word came from an old hat on the Great Hall. However, differently from all the other things in my life, this is not just about me.__

____

_Oh. Where are my manners? You don’t even know my name. _I am sorry for not introducing myself earlier. History of Magic has always been something I appreciated studying and talking about. My name is Lance. Both my parents were from Ravenclaw, and this is not a casual love story.__

____

____

My dad’s family came to Europe on earlies 30’s, after some incidents on America and France. My grandmother studied on the American magic school, on a house known by its travelers and adventurers. She was a Cuban that was lucky enough to avoid the problems with the red color that came some years later. Granny Rosa met my grandfather on the auror’s department of New York while she was still studying on Ilvermorny, on the year of 1926. His chief was taking care of some sort of investigation where animals escaped from a magical case and destroyed half of the city. _Yeah, you read it right. _Some person was stupid enough to open a magical case. I never studied about it, but my grandpa told me how terrible it got for muggles after everything was shut by MACUSA.__

____

____

My grandpa had just graduated from Auror’s school back then, being just 22 when the incident occurred. Between his work on the ministry and the chaos made by some dark wizards around the world, they madly fell in love. I know it looks like the romantic stories made by fans when they try to imagine their lives with a celebrity that my muggle cousin loves so much, but I promise it really happened. They ended up coming to Ireland and living in a small village full of muggles, where both, my father and mother, were born. My mother, differently than my dad, who was the youngest of a full magical family, was a Muggle-born, and she has always taught me to respect everyone and to never judge someone by something as basic as blood origins. She also told me about the bullying she had suffered in Hogwarts on the beginning of her school life, and how scared she got when the chamber of secrets was reopened during her first year. She even told me how she hid during her sixth year, when Hogwarts had been taken by death eaters.

It was hard for her to finally understand it wasn’t her fault. To finally understand that her blood was as pure as theirs. And to finally understand that no blood could determinate someone’s behavior. _At least that was what I thought before I met a certain person. ___

____

I won’t say names for now, but I promise you’ll hate and love _him _as much as I do.__

____

This terribly narrated story begins on an especially chaotic Friday morning on Diagonal Alley. The cutest child in the world was just heading to Olivanders to get his own wand, with a so happy expression that his eyes were almost closed due to the width of his smile. As a ten years old boy and the middle brother of five children, I’ve almost never had “exclusive” sessions with my parents. On that day, particularly, my mom was stunningly happy that one more of her children could bring pride and happiness from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. _Sorry about that… I’ve always dreamed of the day I would use the school’s whole name to tell a story. ___

____

Her long and brown hair was held up by an unpretentious pony-tail, leaving some rebels hair strands free to disturb her sight. But even this small thing that would make her scream and shout as a child at home could not take her attention from me as I bumped into people trying to enter the old store. 

The store was small if compared to the new franchises that opened during the last few years. The brown building looked like a normal house, constructed as if it was not designed at first to hold a second floor. The windows were opaque and worn out by time, but it was possible to see candles floating and illuminating the inside if you watched it really closely. To the outside people and to a child as me at the time, it only looked like if ghosts were having a good party inside of it. The door was made of some sort of sheesham wood, looking newer when compared to the windows and walls, diverging from the whole building. It almost looked as if someone had destroyed the door years ago and the owner had never had the time to properly rebuild it. 

“C’mon, open the door…” She said with a sweet smile on her face. Her voice was warm and clean. Her hands went to the bottom of my back, pushing it lightly. I didn’t know at the time, and I still have no clue why I paralyzed when there was just one step separating me from my happiness. The building seemed to get larger and larger with the seconds, looking like a monster ready to devour anyone that crossed its territory line. My head was aching; my body was frozen; but my smile was still up.

“Are you okay, sweetie?” She said, a little worried about how I couldn’t act after all the hours I spent thrilled with idea of getting my own wand on the last night.

“What if I am not worthy of a wand? You said they choose the wizard… What if none of them choose me like when Marco and Luis play football?” Stopping to think about it now, it’s no surprise how insecure I was on that time. Differently from my brothers and sister, I didn’t present any magical ability before I was nine years old. I watched my baby sister change her doll’s hair’s color with a belch while I could do nothing but read and smile. For years I thought I was a squib. The first in the whole family. But then, on a snowy day from the last winter, right before Christmas, _the snowflakes danced with me. ___

____

_I was crying after one more fight with my parents. It was getting hard for me to face the idea of not receiving any letter with the passage of time and I was terrified by the idea of not being able to do magic. I could only scream at any sight of floating objects. The kitchen was full on that day. I remember how I popped one of the plates on the wall just because it was floating right in front of my eyes. My mom was crying. My dad was furious. And all I could do was scream at her about how lucky she was for being magical in a family of muggles and not the opposite. I left the place as soon as my dad started fixing things. ___

____

_I was alone in the frozen garden. The earth was covered in snow, so as the trees and flowers. The normally colored place was taken by white. It was almost an unfair battle to fight. The living things were all covered by the sad white tones, and the remains of what once was a beautiful garden were retreating until the spring. I could still hear my dad cursing in Spanish as He shook his wand. Meanwhile, I headed straight to the central tree’s base, sitting there and using my knees as a support to my aching head. I rounded my arms around my legs protectively, trying to make it less cold. The warming spells were never a specialty of my parents, and our clothes always ended up getting cold faster than it should. Even so, I was always attracted by the cold. The white and blue tones always made me find peace. But, on that day, I couldn’t stop myself of crying my heart out… Or something like this. All seemed wrong. I seemed wrong. The tree seemed to be on the wrong spot, so as me on a magical family when I couldn’t even raise a stick with my magic. _Okay… Maybe I have some talent for the drama, and this is just an overreaction to add some more words to this story. But can you blame me?  
__

____

_It had passed some minutes when the snowflakes stopped to fall. It took me a while to realize it and see them starting to move again. As if, in some way, they knew I needed something to cheer me up. They began to do strange circular movements in the middle of the air, trying to make figures: ___

____

_A dragon; a ballerina; a dog; and, lastly, a lion. ___

_At first, I thought it was Marco trying to cheer me up. He was in his fourth year in Hogwarts, following our parents’ steps just like Luis by being on Ravenclaw. I was still angry, so I tried to give him my best grumpy face when I saw him coming out of the house. However, He was not with a wand on his hands, and he was as surprised as my mom, who was coming right after him to check me up, when they saw the snowflake lion I carefully named Ted floating over my head. They smiled at me. And all I did was cry for a little longer. ___

“If you can’t believe in yourself, you won’t get the chance to show the world what you are capable of doing… And I am sure you are going to be chosen by an amazing wand, which is going to be the most wonderful that Hogwarts has ever seen. Don’t worry, _my dear Lancelot. _” Her hands went to my not so long hair and started to caress it softly. I used to feel like a dog when she did this kind of thing. But, at the same time, it kind of reminded me that I had someone supporting me every day.__

____

____

“Stop, mom… You know I don’t like when you do this in public!” I said, pushing her hand out of my head. _I was an annoying kid, I know. _I was on that stupid phase of not wanting my parents to “embarrass” me in public by showing their love. However, I still had a wide smile on my face every time I heard those three words being said, and that time was no different…__

____

____

I don’t remember how I ended up inside Olivanders, but all I could see a few seconds after entering the establishment was the magical candles and the rows of drawers. The inside contrasted with the idea I created when I was staring at the old building for the first time. It wasn’t old and dusty as my mom has always told me. The rectangular balcony was made of a dark type of ebony and it was placed in the center of the narrow room, where a white and old lampshade was placed. An old man was talking to a small group of people cheerfully. They were a strange family to look at. The two boys seemed like doppelgangers from their father, with the messy jet-black hair and the bright green eyes. Their mother and sister diverged from the rest of the family with the ginger hair and pale skin. At the time, I didn’t know who they were. And now you are probably asking yourself how a child could be dumb at the point of not knowing who the Potters were. 

_Pidge always said wisdom was not one of my best qualities. _It took me a while to realize she didn’t mean that as a compliment.__

____

____

My mom and I waited for the family to leave. The younger boy was filled with happiness as he showed his wand to the young girl next to him on their way to the door. The eldest of the siblings just seemed bored as he asked his mother about the dinner. He had a red scarf hanging off his neck, what made me quickly recognize him as a Gryffindor. 

The ginger lady, whose name I didn’t know yet, smiled at me and my mom, talking to her briefly before screaming her son’s name and leaving the store. “James, I swear I’ll turn you into a fly if you don’t stop making your sister cry!” She yelled, before closing the door with a thump.

“Ginny Weasley, energetic as always…” my mom had a smile on her face while she looked through the window at the Potters crossing the street. It took a few seconds until the old man left the balcony, with a small smile on his face. He had the eyes of a person who had drunk too much coffee and his hair was all white and full of messy curls. He was wearing a black and dusty suit, fitting the appearance of the store.

“Miss McClain, it’s been a while… Is this the next one to go to Hogwarts? I hope Marco’s and Luis’ wands are okay. How is your husband?” He spoke too quickly to my childish mind to follow, asking too many questions at a short period of time. I can’t blame my mom for staring at him like he had just farted. _And I can’t say that I hadn’t done just the same, because it would be a lie._

“Yes, Ollivanders. This is my youngest boy, Lance.” He smiled at me after we were properly presented, bending his head a little too much to the right to look at me. “The wands are all fine. You work as well as your uncle did back on my school days. And my husband is all right, He wanted to be here with us, but the Ministry called him to solve some problems.” She winked at me, trying to ensure he was like that all the time. 

“That’s wonderful!” He said, clapping before stepping back and vanishing in the back of the building. I looked at my mom for a moment, trying to get an answer that never came. “I suppose you’d like a wand like the ones your brothers have?” His voice sounded a little muffed, as he came from the back of the store with a pile of boxes. All of them were slim, but with different lengths. 

“Yeah. Sure.” You are probably thinking that I didn’t sound as animated as I should; _but try to stay in a room with him for over 10 seconds without freaking out._

“Here, cedar with dragon heartstring, a powerful combination that fit wonderfully with your brother, Luis.” He handed me the first wand carefully. My heart skipped a few beats as I took the long stick into my hand. The wood felt harsh on my palm while I felt like a criminal on court, knowing that there was no other destiny for me but Askaban. I tried to shake my hand a little, maybe make time pass quicker by doing so. _The heat I felt by doing so was like touching a furnace with bare hands. _I quickly released the wand from my hold, staring at my irritated palm after it. There was a red line right in the middle of it that looked just like a sunburn. Ollivanders chuckled before taking the devious stick from the floor and putting it back into its box.__

“Maybe you two weren’t the best match…” _Remembering now of that odd conversation, I just feel like I was stuck on the crazy muggle platform Hunk showed me years after. A photo followed by your name presented on a screen while people passed by, leaving hearts to the people they found pretty and denies to the ones they dislike. If, for some reason, a person came to give a heart to you after you gave him a heart too, it would be called a match. _Ollivanders took some time to choose the other box from the enormous pile. This one, differently than the last, was white and smaller, with small draws over it.__

“Hornbeam with phoenix feather. The core is the same your brother Marco uses, but the wood is the same material of your father’s wand.” He gave me the wand with some caution, maybe afraid that I’d blow the place with it. This one was heavier than the other, but less rough, what made me feel confident enough to make a fancier test-drive. _No surprise it turned out to be a terrible idea. _The energy from the wand ended up knocking down most of the boxes that were over the balcony. Ollivanders took the wand out of my hand without me even realizing.__

I started to feel depressed as the tests were passing by. The denials were just confirming my deepest fears. After what seemed an eternity of explosions, burns and shocks, Ollivanders sighed at me. I could see he was trying his best to find the perfect wand for me, but you can’t find a match to something that’s broken. It’s just like trying to solve a puzzle with the wrong pieces. 

“I have one more to try with you, kid. But this one is tricky. It’s a combination of bad temper and melancholy. Its owner must be focused and in total control of his emotions…” As he spoke, my lungs started hurting, as if I was on the edge of having an asthma attack. How could a so problematic wand accept me as its owner? Ollivanders took the last wand from the remaining of the enormous pile of boxes. It was long, with a thin handle painted in a dark tone of blue. The shaft and the tip, however, were pale as ice. It fit my hand the moment I took it. I felt a strange cold wave hit me when I held it more carefully. It was just like a winter wind, what gave me goosebumps. After a few moments, the little me pointed the wand to the fallen boxes by the side of the big balcony. My eyes were closed and I was praying for everything to stay okay. I waited for the explosions, the shocks, the burns, but they didn’t come as I expected. As I finally had the guts to open my eyes, I ended up finding a perfect organized pile of boxes. By its side, Ollivanders smiling like a sociopath.

“Hazel with some unicorn hair.” He said, with a great smile on his face. “A strange combination I chose to make a few years ago. It’s a loyal wand this one, but be careful with its sensitivity. I felt you were destined to great things the moment you entered through that door, young McClain. And this wand just confirmed it to me now. It wouldn’t choose any person, and I can ensure you this mix is not easy to manage. I sense you’ll illuminate the darkest of places with a simple wave of your hand someday.” _I just hoped he had been more specific, so I would’ve not had to pass through everything I faced during the next few years just to illuminate a bloody heart. ___

-/-

The days until my departure passed in a blink. In what felt like hours instead of months, I was standing on a crowded platform on King Cross’ Station, in the middle of London, with my older brothers singing terrible songs, my cat, Blue, sleeping over my things and my mom and dad tarrying their faces apart with proud smiles. My younger sister and brother were at Grandma Rosa’s house. Veronica didn’t deal well with crowds, and in order of not making every wizard there bald with her magic, unstable as it was, we decided to leave her at Granny’s. 

I was pretty nervous after getting through the magical passage to Platform 9 ¾. My stomach seemed to be fighting my lungs for space. _I was a kid and I didn’t have any notion of anatomy. Stop judging me. _I started to look around; trying to find other first year’s students, but it was hard for me, as a not so tall child, to look through all the concerned parents screaming at their children to not forget anything. Marco and Luis quickly found their way to their friends. I always thought they got too snob around them. Talking difficultly and smiling as if they were the successors of Albus Dumbledore.__

____

After getting dizzy of looking around, I finally found the family I met on Ollivanders the other day. The younger boy seemed concerned while his mom screamed at his brother. Their father was on his knees in front of him, trying to calm him down about something. I thought about getting closer. Maybe listening a bit and beginning a conversation with them. But I felt it wasn’t my place on that moment. _Or ever, especially after I found out Albus Potter was the definition of an asshole._

____

I started to question myself if that’s what I wanted. To live most of the year away from my family, in a room full of strangers. It just didn’t seem right. I was about to ask my mom to get me home, but her dark blue eyes were looking at me before I could even turn my head. Her smile was still up, making her face even prettier than usual. I’d always seen my mom as a safety island to where I could run to. _Or sail, if you are too concerned about grammar and metaphors. _And her smile always made me happy, no matter how many times I’d fallen. It was just too much to ask her to let me flee from the world. _It took me years to realize how much I was scared of leaving her back then. _____

_____ _

“It’s okay… You’ll be just fine…” Her lips moved discreetly, but no sound left her mouth. I smiled after understanding her message, comforting myself. “I’ll write letters every week!” She said in a loud tone, making her voice get to both my older brothers. They nodded at her, looking back at their friend, Matt, to laugh after it. “I think it’s time to get to the train; it’ll get hard to find an empty wagon if we wait any longer...” Her hands felt heavy on my shoulders as we got closer to the Hogwarts Express. Her fingers were tapping nervously close to my collarbones, while my dad levitated my things, putting them together with all the others luggage. 

After a couple of Wingardium Leviosas, he turned to my brothers, giving them the same warnings he gave them every year. “Stay away from problems; don’t mess up with Filch; and don’t look at principal McGonagall’s eyes for too long!” They both replied with a sigh, giving him and my mom quick hugs before getting into the train, followed by their Ravenclaw’s friends. My mother’s arms were around me before I could react. Her hug seemed desperate and full of sorrow, diverging from the big smile she had stamped on her face. 

“Mom…” I said in low voice. My eyes were full of tears that never came to fall. She hummed in response, waiting for me to continue my unfinished sentence. “What if I’m not smart enough to get into Raveclaw?” My questioning was all about not letting them down. I didn’t want to be the first McClain to not wear a blue scarf during Christmas’ Eve.

“I never said you had to get into Ravenclaw… And it had never been about how smart you are or not to the Sorting Hat. You’ll be perfect in any house you get into; and even Slytherin will be a lovely house just by having you there!” She said, grinning at the end of her sentence. She had always joked with us about how terrible Slytherins were, even though her best mate from school was a snake. _I mean this as compliment, of course. ___

____

My farewells were rushed by the first train whistle. My dad has always been the patting guy. No words or hugs, just a smile and thumbs up. My mom was the one who got more affected by the excruciating noise. We exchanged one or two “I love you’s” before she gave me a last kiss on the cheek and I had to go into the first wagon. I entered the first empty cabin I saw, getting myself as close to the window as possible.

My mom was crying while she waved her hand; and even my father looked a little shaken as he put his left arm around her. I tried to show them my best smile. As if, in some way, by doing so, it would make them less preoccupied about me. I stayed there; smiling at the window, even after the train left the station. By the time I heard the cabin’s door being open, my grin was just a barrier between me and my reflection.

“Can I sit in here? The rest of the train is completely full…” The big guy that entered through the door seemed bewildered when he looked at my paralyzed expression. My smile faded with the seconds, as I nodded at him to enter. His voice was too thick for an 11 years old boy, but his face didn’t fit with the senior students, so as the grey costumes without any house symbol. His hair and eyes had an innocent and dark tone of brown, which was a perfect match with his tanned skin. “I’m Hunk. What’s your name?” He raised his hand calmly, offering it for me to take it.

“I’m Lance. It’s nice to meet you, Hunk.” My dad always warned me to be careful with my first cabin, because, according to the magic he believed that existed on the Hogwarts express, you are always destined to be best friends with the ones that share your cabin during your first year. Stopping to think now, after all the years that have passed, I can’t think of another person I’d choose to share my first cabin. _And no, I’m not saying this because Hunk is threating me with his wand. That would be ridiculous. ___

____

\--/--

After a couple of hours have passed, I discovered many things about my new Samoan friend. He told me about how his family moved to Holmes Chapel, a small village located south of Manchester, when he was still a baby. He even told me how scared they got when he first made his aunt’s dog float. Hunk was a muggle-born, just like my mom. Their parents dealt with it much worse than my mom’s parents. They tried to take him to a church, to make him “pure” from supernatural influence. _Huh. Supernatural influence; what were they thinking? That a ghost had taken his body? This is not even possible._

____

As we chatted, I also discovered that Hunk, so as me, was bringing a cat to Hogwarts named Gold. His wand was made of Pear wood with a dragon heartstring core, and seemed pretty small when compared to his big hand. He didn’t know about Diagonal Alley or Platform 9 ¾ until one Ministry agent came to his house last summer, explaining to his parents everything they needed to know about the magical world. I never stopped to wonder or ask my mother how she got into the magical world the first time, but it would be impossible for muggle-borns to discover it without the Ministry help.

“I almost peed myself when I passed through that wall on King Cross. Jeez, why couldn’t you, magical people, just build an elevator to a secret floor like the movies? It would be much easier…” We were eating chocolate frogs and chatting after spending some sickles. Hunk got Merlin’s card, as I got my third Dumbledore in a role. The trip to Hogwarts was long and felt endless. I was anxious to get to the famous castle, but I was also starting to miss my family, specially my mom. By this time, she would probably be at her bakery, administering everything from behind the balcony. Me and my brothers never understood why she had a bakery on the muggle village Gradma Rosa lived instead of opening another business on the small magical community where our house was located. However, after talking to Hunk on that afternoon, I could see the reason she chose a muggle bakery instead of a magical one. It would let her be close to her origins, especially after her mother and father’s deaths.

I’ve never gotten the chance to meet my mom’s parents, since they died before even Luis was born. They got into a car accident during night, what made my mom get very scared of anything with four wheels for over a year. She always spoke of her mom’s food and her dad’s bad puns; of how her eyes were the same as his, and how much I resembled him. _She meant it because of the dark blue eyes and the thin face. My puns are great and very funny, thank you. ___

____

When we got into the last third of our way to Hogwarts, a tiny figure knocked at the cabin’s door. Hunk, who had been asleep for over an hour, opened his eyes lazily, murmuring a tired “Come in” as he stretched out a bit. A small student came in, with the vests a number too big for my taste. The hair was just a little longer than Hunk’s and in a light tone of brown. It took a few seconds for my asleep mind to notice how much the small figure resembled Marco’s best friend.

“Matt?” _I know what’s passing in your mind now. I was sleepy, okay? And thinking before talking was never a thing for me. _“Not Matt…” _I’ll stop defending myself _now.____

_____ _

“No, Matt is my older brother. I’m Pidge.” The face was almost the same, so as the glasses, hair and eyes tone, and the sarcastic smile. If it weren’t for the missing Ravenclaw symbol on the shirt and the high-pitched voice, I’d say my brother had finally mastered the shrinking spell. “We are almost arriving, so my brother asked me to tell every first year student to put the uniforms on.”

“Oh, okay. Thanks, dude.” My voice sounded as if I had just been punched and Hunk quirked an eyebrow at my response to Pidge, as if I was making some stupid joke. Pidge left an ironical laugh before leaving us alone again on our precious cabin, full of empty portraits of famous wizards and boxes of chocolate frogs. “He is just the copy of his brother, you know…”

“Dude…” That was the only answer I got from Hunk before he started laughing. I didn’t know the reason of his laughter back then, but I accompanied him before we both got up and ready to change into proper outfits.

\---/---

Hogwarts is much bigger than I imagined, and has a much stronger presence than what people has told me. Its high towers seemed as thorns, omnipotent and frightening from the view I was getting. As first year students, we should take the lake way instead of the road to get to the castle. On the first boat, a giant man held a lantern, while he talked cheerfully about Hogwarts yards. On his other hand, he used a strangely pink umbrella to point at each tower, explaining how to differentiate the ones that were dorm rooms from the classes. _Unfortunately, I still can’t tell which one is which nowadays. ___

____

After some minutes staring at the great castle reflected by moonlight on the lake’s waters, we reached the bay, where a handsome and nice man was waiting. He had a rounded face, with a big smile and too separated front teeth. His hair was black, but had some dirt spread through it, as if he was a kid who had just played in the garden. His outfits, however, were polished and new. A yellow lion was stamped on his left chest, surrounded by a strong red tone, forming a shield. 

“Greetings everyone. I am professor Longbottom, the responsible for Gryffindor’s house and for receiving you here. I am sure Hagrid gave you a splendid explanation about the castle limits during the passage through the lake, hasn’t he?” Professor Longbottom’s words made Hagrid blush behind the big beard, making the image I had of him as a giant who could eat each one of us fade away. “Anyway, I have to tell you just the same. It’s the protocol, and I am sure principal McGonagall would kill me if she knew I jumped any step.” He cleared out his throat momently, taking a small paper from the front pocked of his vests. “The forbidden forest is strictly prohibited to the students, so as leaving the castle without a permission or a professor accompaniment. The second floor girls’ bathroom had a flood, so it’s recommended to the students to not use it.” After passing through the rest of the paper with his eyes, judging the remaining information as useless, he threw the paper in the hair, clapping his hands quickly, what made the small notes vanish in a poof.

“Now, follow me, please.” He turned gracefully and started waking with slow steps. The students quickly made a line to follow him, afraid of getting lost in the middle of the way. According to the legends, a person could simply get lost for days in Hogwarts highways just by taking the wrong stairs. _Now, according to my personal experience, the longest you could get lost is a few hours between lunch and dinner. Trust me, I tried. ___

____

We walked for long minutes before getting to the gigantic metal gates that separated the interior of the castle from the outside world. The metal sounds that I heard were similar to the gears of an ancient clock. The door opened with a loud noise, sounding as if a giant had unplugged a huge cork from its place. The inside was as beautiful as the rest of the school. Old stones composed the floor and the walls, while the celling was out of sight. If you looked and payed attention, you’d see the stairs moving from one floor to the another, synchronizing in a unique rhythm.

Differently than me, Hunk was just looking ahead. It was like someone had stuck his neck in the same position, like a horse pulling a carriage. He had problems back at the train to get into the boat, saying it was too much for him. I tried to make him feel better by making jokes; but, when we were less than half through the way on our small “cruiser”, he just started looking at his own feet, what made me feel guilty for the rest of the night for not being able of letting him comfortable with the whole new world he was being presented to. After a few months coexisting with him, I found out that he wasn’t nervous about the school or the magic. He was just nauseated with the boat trip. 

The doors of the Great Hall opened with an inaudible thump, revealing a big salon full of students. There were four long tables, each one with a big flag on its end demarking each of the different houses, replete with students from all ages. I saw my brothers chatting when I turned to stare at the Ravenclaw table. All of its students acted as scientists discussing about the best ways to bring peace and happiness to humanity, with the snob smiles and the thoughtful expressions. By their side, the Slytherin table was set, with the cocky expressions and the charming smiles. They were almost a perfect cover for the Daily Prophet if the journal still cared about being or not a pure blood. According to Hunk, they just looked as the failed models that tried to enter the American Vogue. _I supposed this was his way of criticizing them. ___

____

____

On the other side of the Hall, after the Slytherin table – the closest to the door where all the first year students were standing, the loudest table had just hush by looking at professor Longbottom entrance. I quickly recognized it as the Gryffindor’s place, not just because of the red flag and red scarfs huddled together, but by the way they respected their house's director. _After a while, I understood it wasn’t just respect, but fear of getting into detention and having to clean the greenhouses. ___

____

____

The last table looked as the calmest of them all. Its students were staring at the fresh meat with big smiles and heart eyes, waiting to see which of us would join them by the end of the night. _It wasn’t really at the end of the night, but I couldn’t find the right words to fit in, so I just dramatized it a little bit. _Hufflepuffs were always known by their remarkable loyalty and kindness. It was my second favorite house of Hogwarts. They just lost to my own house, of course. _Oops, spoilers. Sorry. _____

_____ _

_____ _

In the back on the saloon, on a smaller table that stayed on a higher ground, the teachers stared at us. I could reckon professor Slughorn on the edge of the table by his white and thin hair. My brothers always talked about how close he was of retiring and how lucky I was for not having to pass through the second year with him as the potions’ teacher. On the other side of the table, next to the empty chair belonging to professor Longbottom, was sat a ginger adult with corky expressions. He had a big moustache that covered his mouth, not allowing any of us to see if he was or not smiling. He used a strange turban over his head that didn’t cover all of his hair or matched the rest of his black vests. _Coran, definitely, or, how my brothers called him, the divination dork. I actually grew to be a real fond of him. ___

____

____

By Coran’s side, the vision of perfection was sitting. It was a young lady, newly formed, with long hair as white as ice and eyes of the most pure blue. Her skin was dark and delicate, like she hasn’t ever fell or hurt herself while cooking. She had a wide smile on her face that just made her more beautiful. Her outfits, worthy of a queen, were in a dark tone of purple, matching the jewels she used and the perfectly sewn headpiece she had on her head. I only found her name after the selection. Allura, the new director of Ravenclaw and teacher of transfiguration, or, as I called during the first two years I spent in Hogwarts, the love of my life. _I blame the hormones. ___

____

____

Next to her, the youngest of the male teachers sat. He had strong traits and a defined jaw line. His eyes were dark as a night without stars, what only made him look more serious and frightening. He had a strange scar that covered most of his nose, as if someone had stabbed his face with a knife many years ago. His also dark hair had some white strings that were carefully brushed on a small tuft, contrasting with the rest of his look. Takashi Shirogane, retired auror after a bad injury in battle that almost deformed his entire face, current teacher of charms and head of Hufflepuff. 

In the middle of the table, on the tallest chair, stood the one and only Minerva McGonagall, principal of Hogwarts, judging each and every movement occurring on that large room. She seemed to be looking straight at me over the round lens of her glasses. Her hair went grey after some years, but her age never made her less respectful or authoritarian. I admire her in ways I can’t even explain; but, at the same time, all I can think of every time I look at the occupied centered sit is “run before she jinxes you”.

After some minutes, the whole room shut and started to look at us. Mounts of heads turning from their cheerful chat just to stare at the freshmen standing by the door. Professor Longbottom started to walk to the center of the salon, signalizing at us to not move yet. The adrenaline was high, and the first year students seemed ready to run for their lives in a non-existent match. When professor Longbottom got to the front of the teachers’ table, he took his wand gently from his back pocket, waving it gracefully and making a small bench appear, what only made the new students sigh in amusement. The principal looked at him with a small smile, showing that she was proud of his magical ability, what only made him blush briefly. 

Minerva stood up calmly, the proud smile getting larger as she analyzed each and every one of us. Her voice, calm and ancient, blared through the silent room when she finally spoke. “Welcome, my dear students. Today, you’ll be sorted into one of Hogwarts four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin…” Her green eyes were just the eyes of a cat ready to get to its prey, what only made her more imposing than she already seemed. “I assume professor Longbottom has told you about the school rules, but I’ll remind you quickly. It’s prohibited to all students to get close to the forbidden forest; if you want to leave the castle you must be with a teacher or authorization signed by me and the student’s parents; and lastly, but not less important, no Weasley’s products are allowed, especially after what happened to the girl’s bathroom on the second floor a few minutes before you arrived…” At the end of her discuss, she was specifically staring at two third year students on the Gryffindor’s table. James and what I think would be his cousin were red as Coran’s moustache. After the warnings, she took an old hat from the back of her chair. It seemed shoddy when compared to the rest of the room, but I knew the importance of it. She threw it gracefully in the air, and it delicately found its way to the bench created by professor Longbottom minutes ago.

Everyone on the room, including the senior students and professors looked at the hat with expectation, waiting for its big move. After some moments, what looked as a big bend moved as a mouth, so as the small roles close to the tip of the hat, which started acting and moving like big eyes. The following scene was a shock to all the unprepared students. The hat carefully cleaned its “throat” before starting singing with a harsh and deep voice.  


_“Oh, you may not think I’m pretty,_  
_But don’t judge on what you see, _  
_I’ll eat myself if you can find _  
_A smarter hat than me.” _______

__

_“You can keep your bowlers black, ___  
_Your top hats sleek and tall, _  
_For I’m the Hogwarts Sorting Hat _  
_And I can cap them all.” _______

__  


I laughed briefly as the song continued. My brothers used to sang it all the time during their first vacation after coming to Hogwarts, what made me only more anxious about my magic back then. As he began the next verse, the tables got ready for their houses’ name to come.

_“You might belong in Gryffindor, ___  
_Where dwell the brave at heart, _  
_Their daring, nerve and chivalry, _  
_Set Gryffindors apart;” _______

__  


The Gryffindor’s table clapped when their house was called, what only gave them a warning stare from all the teachers. The following houses did just the same when each and every name was proclaimed.

_“You might belong in Hufflepuff ___  
_Where they are just and loyal, _  
_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true, _  
_And unafraid of toil;” _______

__

_“Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, ___  
_If you’ve a ready mind, _  
_Where those of wit and learning, _  
_Will always find their kind;” _______

  
_“Or perhaps in Slytherin, ___  
_You’ll make your real friends, ___  
_Those cunning folks use any means, _  
_To achieve their ends.” _____  


As the last house was called by the hat, the air seemed to get drier around me. My nerves were exploding and I was close to collapsing of happiness and anxiety. The big moment was just ahead of me, in the form of an old hat that had better singing abilities than my whole family together.

_“So put me on! Don’t be afraid! ___  
_And don’t get in a flap! ___  
_You’re in safe hands (though I have none) _  
_For I’m a thinking hat” _____  


The claps after the song were quick and loud. Professor Longbottom took a thing parchment that was lying on the top of the teachers’ table, just by the principal’s side.

“When I call your name, please take one step further and put the Sorting Hat to be designated to your house…” He took a deep breath before opening the list and starting to read it. “Arthur Bismuth!” A small ginger boy behind me shivered at the call. He stepped out of the line and walked slowly to the center of the room, where the hat rested on the small bench. He put it over his head carefully, trying to not cover his own eyes. It took a few seconds before the first scream and rain of applauses.

“Gryffindor!” The hat’s voice came in high scream as the young boy left his place and joined the noisy table. Professor Longbottom tried to hide his own proud smile by having one more person joining his house, but it was worthless. He cleared his throat before continuing with the list.

“Aleksey Braginski!” another ginger boy, taller this time, stepped out of the line and got quicker into the small seat. The hat stayed longer on his head than with little Arthur, but after what seemed like an eternity, the hat hissed with pleasure.

“Slytherin!” The green table screamed even louder than the previous one as the boy smiled and moved to his place. After some minutes, five Hufflepuffs, four Ravenclaws, two Slytherins and three Gryffidors had been sorted into their rightful places. The queue was getting smaller and smaller with time, but they were still on letter H. Too far and too close at the same time.

“Katheryn Holt!” After some seconds, a small figure emerged from the remaining students that hadn’t been sorted yet. The brown hair hiding the tension every other person had on its shoulders. It took me a while before finally realizing who Katheryn was.

“Pidge?” I asked in low voice. She winked at me before taking her place on the center of the room. I looked at Hunk, questioning him about the current situation. His wide and ironical smile gave the answer I was looking for. She was wearing pants, while all the other girls were wearing the typical skirt that came with the Hogwarts’ feminine uniform. The hat had barely touched her head before screaming Ravenclaw! Her brother, who was just next to Marco, smiled proudly, whistling as she sit by his side. After that, Professor Longbottom just went to the next name on the list.

“Keith Kogane!” _And that, my friends, is the name of a bastard, a bloody bastard. _The boy right in front of me sighed before starting to walk. He looked back at us, or more specifically, at me before finally making his way to the center. His eyes were black and seemed to have a crazy void that caught me somehow. I felt dizzy and cold, just like the day I discovered my magic. Professor Shirogane, or Shiro, as my brothers called him, crossed his arms over his chest when Keith finally sit on the bench, finally reacting to the sorting in some way. I was still lost into the cold and dizziness that his eyes made me feel when I looked at him again. All the sound around me seemed to hush as I paid attention on his moves. He was inhaling and exhaling nervously, letting the air leave his lungs at each long sigh. His eyes were staring at me again, and all the cold was quickly substituted by a craving heat that possessed all of my body. It was just like that when my mom reinforced the heating spells on my winter clothes. I almost missed when the hat hissed one more time and the young boy sat with the Slytherins.__

____

____

After some more names, the queue resumed to me, Hunk, the young Potter and five other people. I was filled with relief after the last L name was called. Professor Shiro had started smiling after Keith was sorted, talking with the other teachers and the students that joined his house. It was almost a total different person from the unfriendly adult that stared at them when they entered the room. Professor Longbottom called for the next in line after Anna Laidman left the seat and joined the Hufflepuff table, her dark curls covering her hazel eyes as she ran to get a chair. I didn’t understand the name that was called after hers, but it didn’t need a genius intellect to know that it was a Malfoy. The pale skin, thin nose and pointed face, combined with the blonde hair that was always compared to the Veelas were easy to reckon. 

As expected, Malfoy ended up sitting with the Slytherins, just by Kogane’s side. Professor Longbottom took a deep breath before reading the next name. It was clear that he was getting tired, but disappointing McGonagall seemed to scare him more than the idea of losing his voice. “Lance McClain!” My bones froze when I heard my name being called. My lungs started aching just like the day I was afraid of not getting picked by any of the wands back on Ollivanders. I took my way to the seat after a few moments, Hunk patting my back before I left the line as a sign of good luck. I sit on the small bench and put the hat on my head carefully. It was bigger than it looked, covering my eyes and preventing me to see what was happening on my front. The voice I heard seconds later sent shivers through my spine. It felt like someone was thinking inside my head, and not being able to see anything just made me feel more uncomfortable.

“Another McClain, huh? Don’t you stop procreating? In some years you’ll end up just like the Weasleys…” I was fighting my desire of screaming after each of the Sorting Hat’s words. They took the place of my thoughts in ways that made me feel naked. “Scared boy, aren’t you? Maybe I should put you together with your brothers so you’ll have a bed to run to after a nightmare…” In some way, that quote made me stop any negative feeling that had possessed my body. I hated to be seen as the defenseless boy, especially when people thought I needed my brothers’ protection. I had my magic and my wand and was just as capable of magic as them.

“Oh! Interesting… You suddenly became full of confidence and strength, I like it. Your place isn’t with the smartasses. Maybe Slytherin…” I had goosebumps just by hearing him call it. I wasn’t afraid of being a snake, but after the crazy situation I had with Keith, green just seemed a terrible color to me. “No… You don’t have the guts for that. Your sense of justice is just too overwhelming… I think I know where to put you…” The voice hushed for a moment, and all I could hear after the excruciating silence were the applauses coming from my left and the big scream coming from what felt as my forehead.

“Gryffindor!” _And that, my friends, is how I became the first McClain to not wear blue. ___

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter was written two months ago, and the second is still in development. My holidays will begin in two weeks, when I'll finally have time to finish the second chapter and post. I'll try to keep a good frequency with the posting but, because of the university, there can be some problems with finishing the chapters quickly.
> 
> If you have any doubts, leave a comment bellow and I'll try to explain it without giving any spoilers. And if some information is not explained during the chapters, the next end notes will carry some extra facts about the main plot.


End file.
